


Substitutes

by radkoko



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Iruka the Mother Hen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:22:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24117946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radkoko/pseuds/radkoko
Summary: Iruka tries to get his class to make Mother's Day cards, but Naruto doesn't want to participate. Iruka is heartbroken when he finds out why Naruto doesn't want to make one.
Relationships: Umino Iruka & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 10
Kudos: 81





	Substitutes

**Author's Note:**

> I had this random urge this morning to write something of Naruto and Iruka for Mother's Day. I thought about Naruto giving Iruka a card and this was born.

Substitutes

Iruka walked around the classroom as the children continued to decorate their cards. It wasn’t until he got to Naruto that he realized the boy wasn’t doing anything.

“What’s wrong Naruto?” Iruka squatted down to look the small child eye to eye.

“I don’t want to do this,” he said with a small voice. It was the only time that Iruka had ever heard him speak so quietly.

“Naruto, it’s not that hard you’re just making a mother’s day card. I’m sure your mother will love whatever you make.”

“This project is stupid,” he yelled at Iruka. Naruto leapt out of his seat and ran out of the classroom while Iruka could do nothing but watch him go, confused by what had caused his outburst.

He looked around at the other students who had glanced up, but were mostly going back to their own work. Naruto’s behavior was nothing new for them it seemed.

Iruka sighed, got up from the floor, and headed towards the door, “Can you all behave yourselves for a few minutes?” he asked the classroom, with his best teacher voice.

“Yes,” most of them said in unison.

“Ok, well if you need anything Mr. Kakashi is next door.”

A few of the kids nodded to him, but most had gone back to painting, gluing, and glittering their cards.

He left the room, stopping by the door next to his. Kakashi looked up from his book when Iruka opened the door and beckoned him over. His whole class seemed to be in the middle of a silent reading session, so they of course were all quite distracted by his presence.

“I’ve got to deal with a situation, can you check in on my kids every few minutes until I’m back?” Iruka asked, with a small clap of his hands into a pleading gesture.

“Naruto?” Kakashi asked as if already knowing Iruka’s anwer. Iruka nodded, still holding up his hands waiting for Kakashi’s response. “You don’t have to beg, I’ll check on them. You should go,” Kakashi assured him with a smile.

“Thank you!” Iruka yelled as he raced off down the hall trying to figure out where Naruto had gone.

Iruka searched through a few hallways, finding no sign of the boy. 

It wasn’t until he glanced out the window that he noticed the small figure sitting on the swingset slowly rocking back and forth in the sand.

Iruka felt crushed seeing Naruto so down. Walking out to the swing set he sat down in the partnering swing and started to rock back and forth with Naruto. 

“What’s wrong Naruto?” Iruka asked when he finally broke the silence.

Naruto mumbled something, but it was too quiet for Iruka to hear.

“Naruto?” He put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, in an attempt to encourage him.

“I don’t have a mom!” Naruto yelled at him, tears rolling down his face with his nose red and running.

Iruka’s heart broke. He leapt up from the swing to kneel down in front of Naruto pulling him into a hug.

“Ohh Naruto, I’m so sorry… I didn’t know…” Iruka apologized.

The boy wrapped his arms around Iruka and cried into his shoulder, and Iruka didn’t care how wet it was getting.

He waited until Naruto had cried his heart out and his arms loosened from around him before he pulled away. It was one of those things he’d learned young, always let the person who needed the hug decide when it was done.

Iruka pulled a tissue from his pocket, something he always kept handy when teaching kindergarteners, and cleaned up Naruto.

“Naruto, do you want to know a secret?” Iruka asked.

Naruto shook his head at first, but then changed it to a nod.

“I don’t have a mom either,” Iruka admitted. It wasn’t something to casually tell people, but he knew Naruto needed it right now.

“You don’t?” Naruto asked, his eyes going wide.

Iruka shook his head. “But you know what I would do?”

Naruto cocked his head to the side in a silent question.

“I used to still make those cards, then I’d go to her grave and leave it there for her.”

They were silent for a few minutes as Naruto processed his words

“Why don’t we go back and make one together, and I’ll make sure it gets to her,” Iruka offered.

Naruto nodded his head, “ok.”

Iruka stood up and held out his hand for the boy, leading them back to the classroom.

When they got back to the room, Kakashi was standing in the back watching over the kids.

“You go start and I’ll be right there…” Iruka encouraged Naruto back to his seat.

“Is everything alright?” Kakashi whispered.

Iruka shook his head, “It’ll be ok, I guess I just didn’t think about any of these kids being like me…”

“Hmmm?” Kakashi questioned. 

“Naruto, he told me he doesn’t have a mom. I just didn’t know.”

“You’re a substitute while Kurenai is out on maternity leave, how were you supposed to know?”

“I don’t know…” Iruka admitted, but he still felt like he missed something. “Thank you for keeping an eye on them.”

“Sure. I didn’t see any of them eating their projects, so I think they’re all ok.”

Iruka laughed, “It’s a good thing you teach older kids isn’t it?”

Kakashi shrugged, gave Iruka a wave, and walked back to his own classroom.

Iruka made his way around the room to ensure nobody needed anything before he came over to focus his attention on Naruto.

“Can I help?” Iruka asked.

Naruto looked up to him and covered his papers, “No, don’t look.”

Iruka put his hands up, “Ok, but tell me if you need anything.”

Naruto nodded and watched him until he walked away.

At least he seemed to be interested in what he was doing now.

Looking up at the clock on the wall Iruka knew the day was almost over and he needed the kids to clean up before their parents came to pick them up. “Don’t forget to clean up,” he encouraged the students. He knew they’d do an okay job of picking up after themselves, but he’d have to wipe everything down again once they were all gone.

Soon Naruto was the only one at his desk still working away, after all the other children had left. 

A man came into the classroom, who must have been Naruto’s father since they looked identical, and called to the boy, “Naruto?”

He walked closer until he was standing at Naruto’s desk and started running his fingers through Naruto’s hair when the boy didn’t respond, “Naruto, are you ready to go?”

“I just need a minute…” Naruto begged. His blue eyes irresistible even to his father it seemed.

“I’m sorry about him,” the man apologized to Iruka, “You must be the substitute? I’m Minato.” He held out a hand for Iruka to shake. He’d seen the man pick up Naruto, but he’d yet to meet any of the parents.

“Yeah, I started last week. Iruka Umino.” He took the man’s hand. “He’s quite a burst of energy.” Iruka commented, still watching Naruto furiously coloring something on his paper.

“Always, he got that from his mother,” Minato said with a soft smile.

“When?” Iruka asked, covering his mouth immediately after he asked, “I’m sorry that’s not-”

“It’s okay,” Minato replied, “When he was born.”

“Wow…” Iruka didn’t know what to say. He’d been ten when his parents died so he had some memories of them, but to not ever get to know a parent must have been something altogether different.

“Ok, I’m done!” Naruto announced running over to them.

“Can I see?” Iruka asked, hoping to finally get a look at the card he made.

Naruto pulled out two papers and handed one to his dad, “Mr. Iruka said we could take this to mom,” Naruto said, still holding onto the other paper.

“Of course we can, she would love it,” Minato said, leaning over to pick up Naruto.

Iruka couldn’t stop the smile from his face.

“This one’s for you, Mr. Iruka,” Naruto said, holding out the other card.

“Me?” Iruka questioned.

Naruto nodded and Iruka reached for the paper.

He looked at the card which had him and Naruto on the front. Well he assumed it was them based on the hair of the stick figures. When he opened it up it read Hapy Motherz Dae and Iruka couldn’t hold back his laugh.

“Thank you, Naruto.”

Minato smiled at him. “Thank you too, this is a good idea,” he said, indicating the card.

Iruka nodded, happy that he could help.

“Bye!” Naruto yelled and waved his hands as they started walking away.

“Bye,” Iruka replied, waving in return.

Minato got to the door almost running into Kakashi, whom he seemed to know as they chatted briefly before Kakashi patted him on the back and came over to Iruka’s desk.

“Everything turn out ok?” Kakashi asked.

Iruka nodded and showed him the card he’d gotten, “Guess I’m a mother now.”

“I don’t want to burst your bubble, but you’ve always been a bit of a mother.”

Iruka laughed, then looked around the classroom and sighed, “I probably shouldn’t have let them have glitter.”

“Nope.”

The two of them laughed again before Iruka pulled out a vacuum to start picking up after his students.


End file.
